Mud gun



J. c. HOPKINS ET AL 1,726,070

MUD GUN Aug. 27, 1929.

' 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 27, 1928 Aug. 27, 19 J. c. HOPKINS ET AL MUD GUN Filed Feb. 27, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 NM NR J J. C. HOPKINS ET AL Aug. 27, 1929.

MUD GUN Filed Feb. 27. 1928 4 sheets-shet 5 Imenfors: 7 JOHN C. Haze/N5 and z flLFeEp OSOL/N. Q W

Aug. 2 7 1929-- J. c. HOPKINS ET AL MUD GUN Filed Feb. 2?. 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 n d r m MW r WW W 4 P0 ca 5 WV Patented Aug. '27, 1929.

PATENT orrlca. 1

JOHN C. HOPKINS, OF LAKEWOOD, AND ALFRED OSOL IN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

MUD GUN.

Application filed February 27,1928. Serial No. 257,308. g

This invention relates to mud guns, and more particularly to mudguns for closing furnace tap-holes, and has for one of its ob.-

jects the provision of an improved mud gun capable of maintaining a constant and steady pressureon the clay or other plastic material employed to stop the tap-hole;

Another object is to provide a mud gun which is safe and eflicient in operation in that it is not necessary to take the blast 011? the furnace being worked on, and in that it is impossible for metal to blow back through the gun.

A further object is to provide a gun which will contain suflicient'clay, to stop the taphole without recharging the gun, thus elim' inating the necessity of the workmen approaching thefurnace while the operation of stopping the hole is in progress.

A still further object is to provide a mud gun having the novel construction, combination and design of parts hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a plan view, partly in section, showing a mud gun constructed in accordance with this invention, in operative position ona furnace.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a rear elevation thereof. it

Figure 4is a sectional plan through the gun, per se, showing the internal mechanism thereof.

the line VV of Figure 4;.

Figure 6 is a transverse section taken on the line V'IVI of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary'sectional plan taken on the line VII-VII of Figure 5.

- Referring more-particularly to the drawings, the. letter A designates a portion of blast-furnace wall and the numeral 2 desig- Figure 5 is a sectional elevation taken on.

A carriage platform 9'is hingedly supported'on the shaft 8 and is provided with a hinge member 15 journaled on the hingeshaft 8 between hinge-1n s 7 on the lower hinge-bracket 6. A pair 0 supporting bracerods 16 and 17 are secured to the platform 9' and have their upper ends joined and journaled on the hinge-shaft 8 between the hingelugs 7 a on the upper hinge-bracket 5.

The mud n C, having trunnions' 20,'is mounted on the carriage platform 9 solas to have a swinging and pivotal movement relative thereto. A shaft 21 is rigidly mounted on the carriage 9 and projects outwardly. I

beyond the iron runner side of the carriages A pair of bracket-arms 22 are secured: in

spaced relation on theprojecting end of the shaft 21 and extend upwardly and forwardly on an angle toward the furnace. A pair of hanger-bars 23 are provided, one of which is pivotally connected to the upper end of each of said bracket-arms, and depend therefrom.

The lower end of the hanger-rods or bars 23 are provided with bearings in which the trunnions 20 of the mud gun O are journaled. The trunnions 20 of the gun are positioned intermediate the ends ofthe gun at the line of balance so that the gun will bebalanced on the trunnions.

Amotor 25 is mounted on a motor-bracket 26, secured on the carriage and has its armature shaft 27 coupled to a shaft-28 of a gear reducer 29, whichhas a shaft 30 provided with a pinion 31. The pinion 31 is meshed with a segmental rack-member 32 which is fixedly mounted on the fixed hinge-shaft 8.

When power is supplied to the motor 25 the shaft30 and pinion 31 will be rotatedand since therack, 32 is fixed, the pinion 31 will be compelled to travel around the rack. and will, therefore, pull or swing the platform around the hinge-shaft 8.

A vertical bracket 34 is secured to the rear corner of the car'riageplatform nearest the mud gun and carries a vertically disposed sheave 35 at its upper end. A horizontally disposed sheave 36 is journaled on a bracket 37 secured .to the upper forward'corner of the carriage 9. Aram-arm 38 is secured to the shaft ,8 at a point above the rack-member 32. Ali elevator cable 39 is secured to,the-

gun B adjacent its rear end and is trained around the sheaves 35 and'36, and over the cam-arm, and has its other end secured to the cam-arm 38.

When the carriage is swung toward the furnace, the cable 39 will bemoved against the cam-arm '38 and-will thereby be forced to lift or elevate the rear end of the mud gun C, so as 'to rock the gun about the trunnions and lower the forward or nose end of the gun down into line with the tap-hole 3 of the furnace A.

Vhen the carriage is swung away from the furnace, the cable 39 Will be moved away from the cam-arm 38 so as to slack the tension on the cable, and the gun C will automatically be brought to a horizontal position by gravity slnce it is substantially balanced on its trunnions 20.

A shaft 40 is journaled on the carriage 9 and has its one end projected over the mud gun C. A pair of gun-holding dogs or arms 42 are secured to the shaft 40 and are adapted to engage lugs 43 on the gun and to swing or force said gun forwardly into the iron taphole 3 and hold said gun in position.

A motor 45 is mounted on the carriage 9 and has its armature shaft 46 coupled to a shaft 47 of a worm and worm-wheel speed reducing gearing 48 which has a shaft 49 provided with a pinion 50, which is meshed with-a segmental curved rack 51 secured on the shaft 40. v

The mud gun to which this application is particularly directed comprises a screw conveyer housing or gun barrel 55 having a tapered nozzle 56 secured to its forward end and a gear housing 57 secured to its rear end. The gear 'housing' 57 is closed by a cover-plate 58. The conveyer housing or barrel 55 has its upper wall stepped upwardly intermediate its ends, forming a hopper portion 59 that is provided with a hopper extension 60.

A pair of screw conveyers 61 and 62 are mounted in the barrel orconveyer housing 55 and extend from the rear end of said housing,

forwardly into the nose or nozzle portion 56.

The screw conveyer 61 is provided with left-hand spiral flights 63 and is adapted to be rotated in a clockwise direction, while the conveyer 62 is provided with right-hand spiral flights 64 and is adapted to be rotated in a counter-clockwise direction.

The conveyers 61 and 62 are adapted to force clay or other plastic material from the hopper 59 through the conveyer housing or gun barrel, and out of the nozzle 56 under pressure to plug the tap-hole of the furnace. Therefore, it is essential that there be no back flow of the clay or plastic material.

In order to prevent a back flow of the clay or plastic material, the forward end wall of the hopper, at its point of juncture with the conveyer housing or gun barrel, is inclined from the side walls of the conveyor housing rearwardly and toward the longitudinal-axis of the conveyer housing on an angle, as designated by the numeral 64, parallel with the angle of the flights on the conveyers 61 and 62. By forming the lower end of the forward wall of the hopper on the angles, as above described, the flights on the respective conveyers will simultaneously close the space between the forward edge of the hopper and the conveyer fli hts as said conveyers are rofated. v

The upper and lower walls of the conveyer housing 55 are provided with substantially wedge-shaped projections '65 and 66, respectively, immediately forward of the hopper 59, which extend into the spaces between the conveyers so asto seal said spaces and prevent a back flow of the clay under pressure through these spaces.

I The rear ends of the conveyers 61 and 62 are provided with threaded apertures or sockets in which shafts 67 and 68, respectively, are threaded. The shaft 67, secured tothe conveyer 61, is journaled in bearings 69 and 70 in the gear housing 57, and is extended, as at 71, materially beyond the gear housing,

and carries a gear 72 which is meshed with the drive pinion 73 of a drive motor 74 carried by the gun. The motor 74 may be powered by electricity, fluid, or any other source of power. A pinion 7 5 is either formed integral with or secured to the shaft 67 and is meshed with a; pinion 76 on the shaft 68, which shaft is .journaled in bearings 78 and 7 9 in the gear housing 57. g The motor 74 is adapted to rotate the shaft 67 in a clockwise direction and consequently since the shaft 67 is scurieddirectly to the conveyer 61 the conveyer'61j will likewise be rotatedin a clockwise direction, while the shaft 68 and conveyer 62 will be rotated counter-clockwise since the shaft 68 is connected directly to the conveyer 62 and is driven by the shaft 67 through the pinions7 5 and: 7 6.

The shafts 67' and 68 are providedwith'a thrust bearing .80 mounted between tl'1eir..respective pinions and 76, and the coverplate 58, forming the rear end of the gear housing 57. The bearings 80 are adapted to take up the rear thrust of the conveyers as they force the clay forward through the gun.

the motor 74 will then be started which will rotate the shaft 67, and the shaft 68 will be caused also to rotate simultaneously through the pinions 75 and 76, thereby rotatingthe screw conveyers 61'and 62 simultaneously in opposite dire'ctionsso as to cause the clay or other plastic'material to be pulled out of the hopper 59 and forced forward through the conveyer housing or gun barrel 55, and out through the nozzle 56.

The pressure or weight of the clay in the hopper 59, coupled withthe fact that the conveyers 61 and62 will form'a vacuum as they are rotated, is sufiicient to cause a steady feed of the clay to the conveyers, and the steady operation of the conveyers will cause asteady- 1 feed of clay through the gun.

Due to the factthat there can be no back flow of the clay through the gun, a great pressure can and is obtained at the discharge nozzle which results in the stopping of the iron tap-hole even while the blast is on ina blast furnace.

While we-have shown and described on specific embodiment of our invention, it will be understood that we do not wish to be limited thereto since various modifications may be made without departing fromcthe scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

We claim p v 1. A mud gun for' closing furnace tapholes comprising a mud hopper, a screw conveyer housing below and communicating with said hopper, a pair of. screw conveyers journaled in said conveyer housing and extending under said hopper, means in said conveyer housing forward of said hopperv for sealing the space between the screw conveyers so as to prevent a back flow of'the mud under pressure, a' nozzle on-the ,discharge end of said conveyer housing, and means for positively rotating said screws.

2. A mud gun for closing furnace tap holes comprising a mud hopper, a screw conveyer housing below and communicating with said hopper, a pair of screw conveyers journaled in said conveyer housing and extending under said hopper, one of said screw conveyers having left-hand flights and the other of said screw conveyers having righthand flights, means in said conveyer housing forward of said hopper for sealing the space between the screw conveyers so as to prevent a back flow. of the mud: under pressure, a gear on one of said screw conveyers, a gear on the other of said conveyers and meshed with the gear on said first named conveyer, and a motor connected to said first named conveyer and adapted to positively rotate both of said conveyers.

I 3. A mud gun for closing furnace tapholes comprising a mud hopper, a screw con veyer housing below and communicating withsaid hopper, a pair of screw conveyers mounted in said conveyer housing and extending under said hopper, a shaft secured to the rear end of each of said conveyers, a gear housing secured to the rear end ofsaid conveyer housing, said shafts being journaled in bearings in said gear housing, a gearon each of said shafts and in mesh with each other, thrust bearings on said shafts between'said gears and the rear end of said gear housing, one of said conveyers having left-hand flights and the other of said conveyers having right-handfiights, said shaft secured to the rear-end of one of said conveyers being extended through said gear housing and a motor for positively rotating said shaft.

4: A mud gun for closing furnace tapholes comprising a mud ho per, a screw conveyer housing below an communicating with said hopper, a pair of right and lefthand screw conveyers mounted side by side in parallel relation in said housing and extending under said hopper, the forward end wall of said hopper at the point of junction with said conveyer housingbeing inclined from the side walls of the conveyor housing rearwardly and toward the longitudinal axis of said conveyer housing on an angle parallel with the angle of the flights on the respective conveyers, sealing blocks projecting from the top and bottom walls of said conveyer casing into the space between said screw conveyers immediately forward of said hopper so as to prevent a back flow of the mud underpres'sure, a nozzle on the discharge end of said conveyer housing, and means for positively rotating said screws in opposite directions.

5. A mud gun for closing furnace tap-i holes comprising a mud hopper, a screw conveyer housing below and communicating with said hopper, a pair of right and lefthand screw conveyers mounted side by side in parallel relation in said housing and extending under said hopper, the forward end wall of said hopper at the point of junction with said conveyer housing being inclined from the side walls of the conveyer housing rearwardly and toward the longitudinal axis 105 of said conveyer housing on an angle parallel with the angle of the flights on. the respective conveyers, sealing blocks projecting from the top and bottom walls of said conveyer casing into the space between said screw conveyers immediately forward of said hopper so as to prevent aback flow of the mud under pressure, a shaft secured to the rear end of each of said conveyers,a gear veyer housing, said shafts being journaled 'in-'bearings in said gearhousing, a gear on f each of said shafts and in mesh with each other, thrust bearings on said shafts between said-gears and the rear end of said gear housing, said shaft secured to the rear end of one of said conveyers being extended through said gear housing, and a motor for positively rotating said shaft.

| 6. A mud gun for closing furnace tap holes comprising a mud hopper, a screw conveyer housing below and communicating with said hopper, at least one screw conveyer mounted in said housing and extending under said hopper, the forward end wall of said hopper 'at the point of junction with said conveyer housing being inclined on an angle parallel with the angle of the flights on said conveyer so that the flights on said conveyer will simultaneously seal the entire length of the forward edge of the hopper I and prevent back flow of the mud being forced forward by said conveyer, and means for driving said conveyer.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto 10 signed our names.

JOHN ,0. HOPKINS. ALFRED OSOLIN. 

